€56 million water-catchment project unveiled

Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, George Pullicino called the project "Malta's largest EU-funded project" costing a total of €56.1 million.

The project involves water catchment in four major areas that are most prone to flooding. These include Wied Birkirkara including the localities of Birkirkara, Balzan and Msida, Wied Ghollieqa, including Gzira, Weid il-Kbir including Qormi, Zebbug and Marsa and Weid il-Ghajn including Zabbar and Marsascala.

Buhagiar said that it is important to determine the source of the flooding and not just to address the areas that become flooded.

"When dealing with the problem in Msida, we have had to address problems in Attard and Iklin where overflow travels to Msida" he said.

A number of valleys have already been cleaned to allow for better flow of rainwater to reduce flooding.

The project includes building of underground tunnels, culverts and gratings which, Pullicino said that these will "ease the flooding problems for residents as well as the estimated 200,000 users of these major arteries."

The main component which includes the Birkirkara, Msida and Balzan area will involve the building of 11km of underground tunnels, which are three to five metres in diameter and 8 to 52 metres below road level, 72 gratings, 50 silt traps and seven main shafts costing €33 million.

A further €1.7 million will be spent on the Gżira area, €5.9 on Qormi and Marsa, €4.6 on Zebbug and €5.9 on Zabbar and Marsascala.

The project aims at directing water away from these residential areas and storing some of the water for re-use after treatment. The project is to increase Malta's water re-use capacity from by 700,000 cubic metres, up from a current capacity of 300,000 cubic metres.

Pullicino said that there are two ways of conserving water. "The first is to use reservoirs and the second to replenish the underground water table which the project intends to do using soakaway reservoirs."  

Tenders have been issued for all areas and awarded in most and first works are due to start in Zebbug within a few weeks, where a 1.6km tunnel will redirect rain water into the valley. Pullicino said that works will go ahead with "minimal impact on the resident's day-to-day lives."

Though the project is funded by the European Union, 15% of funding comes from government coffers. If the bills are not presented to the EU by the end date of 2015, the remainder of works will have to be financed by the Maltese government.